Two Is Better Than One
by dreamcloud1
Summary: Two Avoxes, controlled by the Capitol. When Lavinia and Darius first meet, what will each of them learn about the other? Set during Catching Fire.


**Hi everyone! So I've decided to write another Hunger Games story, from Lavinia's POV, which also features Darius. I found her quite interesting which is why I decided to write this, so I hope you like it. :)**

* * *

_Run._

_That's all she can do. She can't slow down. It's a cold, hard matter of life or death, and there's no other option. Not for her, not for her brother. _

_Each breath she draws in feels like the blade of a knife in the back of her throat, but she can't stop. Any minute now, she knows that the hovercraft is going to appear in the sky, and that neither she or her brother can run any longer. Any minute now, this nightmare is going to automatically shift into a horrifying blur of agony, where a metal blade slices through her tongue, and her mouth fills with a metallic, wet substance that she knows is blood. _

_Her blood–_

Lavinia is suddenly jerked awake by a loud knocking on the door of her room; a small, white, blank space which reminds her all too often of emptiness. There's nothing in it apart from her narrow bed, desk, chair, and a notepad and pen. She barely has time to sit up before a rough voice belonging to the head of Capitol service staff, Luctox, calls out to her, outside the door, reminding her to be in the dining hall in half an hour, for the most recent Presentation. Then he's gone, and she's left alone with nothing but her thoughts.

_Presentation._ Lavinia knows the word all too well. The event that occurs when a new Avox is brought in to serve their punishment for a crime they have committed. She remembers passing by two members of service staff who still had the power of speech just two days ago and hearing them whisper, their hissing voices clear in her head. "New addition…male from District Twelve….punishment for trying to save a boy from being whipped…" She's kept her head down as she always did, but she'd turned the words over in her mind for days.

And she'd wondered who this man was, and what exactly he had done to end up as a mute slave.

* * *

The row of Avoxes in white uniforms stand to attention in the dining hall, Lavinia amongst them, as they all wait for the newest Avox to be brought in. Fidgeting with her sleeve, dark red hair falling into her face, Lavinia wonders briefly if maybe the new Avox knew either Katniss or Peeta. Personally. They were both from the same district, after all. _It would be worse, though, if he did know either of them, _she thinks. _If they didn't survive…he'd have to watch them perish in the arena._

The sound of the heavy treads of two sets of footsteps is heard outside the door, which then swings open. Luctox stands importantly in the doorway, beside a young man with red hair.

"Everyone, here is our new addition." Luctox's voice drawls through the air, sounding smug and all-important, not even bothering to introduce the new Avox properly. "He was, erm, _delivered_ to us this morning, on behalf of the Capitol. I hope that he will be of good use to us"

A surge of fury shoots through Lavinia as she stares stonily at Luctox, who is smiling lazily around the room, not bothering to look in her direction._ How dare he, _she thinks, as the red-headed man silently shuffles over to stand beside her. _As though he's a package that Luctox has ordered in the post. Talking about him as though he's not even there. _She feels a wave of sympathy for the newcomer.

Luctox opens his mouth again to speak, but is interrupted by the sound of voices and more footsteps approaching the door. Lavinia quickly adjusts her collar, and at the same time, gives a cursory glance to the red-headed Avox man on her left.

The first thing she notices is that he's quite attractive. _Very,_ she thinks, taking in every detail of his face in the quickest time she can. His hair is of medium length and straight, his eyes a light grey and his stance rigid, though with nervousness or not she can't tell. Just as she's about to look away and focus her attention on the arrival of the District Twelve tributes and posse, the man's eyes flicker towards hers, holding her gaze. For a split second, they stare at each other, then Effie Trinket's chirping voice commands their attention.

"Looks like they've got you a matching set this year." Effie comments brightly to Katniss, who is staring straight ahead of her, in Lavinia's direction.

Or rather, at the red-headed Avox at her side.

Lavinia feels a pang of despondency towards Katniss as she watches the expression on her face change from shock, to horror, to despair. She doesn't turn her head, but she can feel that the mute man recognizes her, too. She notices Haymitch grip Katniss' wrist tightly, as though sensing that she might try and run away from what she's just witnessed.

A moment later, Katniss pulls away from Haymitch's grip and heads down to her room. Haymitch's face is hard, and Peeta's expression is one of bewilderment. Effie looks troubled, then rearranges her features in a bright smile, brushing imaginary dirt off her blouse.

"Well now, since we've all arrived, shall we all sit and watch the commentary countdown to the Quarter Quell?" she twitters, already tottering off in her high heels. Which is an all-too familiar signal for Lavinia and the rest of the Avoxes to begin preparing dinner.

But as she files into the kitchen, along with the rest of the mute servants, she resolves to know more about the newcomer.

And more importantly, why he became an Avox.

* * *

At dinner that night, Lavinia is on serving duty with the new Avox. She stands a short distance away from the table, not moving unless a platter or glass needs to be re-filled. The buzz of talk at the table revolves around nothing else but the opening ceremonies.

At times like this, Lavinia automatically tunes out, not paying attention.

But when Katniss knocks a dish of buttery green peas to the floor, she watches as the new Avox man stoops down to help clean them up. She watches as they tightly grip each other's hands, as if desperately trying to communicate to the other all the things that they now will never be able to say. Then, Effie's voice fills the air, exclaiming, "That isn't your job, Katniss!" and the two of them let go.

And Lavinia watches, helplessly, as the red-headed Avox man slowly stands up, a flicker of sadness crossing his face, and makes his way back to his position near the table.

* * *

The two of them are scheduled for clean-up duty that evening. Lavinia washes the dishes while he dries and puts them away. They work in an almost companionable silence, apart from the sloshing of water in the sink and the clinking of dishes. Lavinia wonders, if they were still able to talk, what they would say to each other. Perhaps, after introductions, they would ask about each other's homes and families. And why they got punished like they did.

But again, maybe they wouldn't talk at all, simply because Lavinia knows that it's easier to keep silent than to bother people by asking questions. Or in her case, using sign language.

She's just about to leave the kitchen and go to her room when she feels a tap on her arm. Turning round, she sees the Avox man pointing out the door, an eyebrow raised quizzically.

She points to her tongue-less mouth then out the door, meaning, _Want to talk?_

He nods, seeming to understand.

Together, they make their way out the kitchen door and into the hallway. Lavinia beckons to the Avox man as they tread quietly on the wooden floor, searching for somewhere they could go without anyone taking notice of them. The hall seems quiet enough, and allows them to hear whether anyone's coming or going, so the two of them sit down on the wooden floor, Lavinia pulling out her notepad and pen, which she's made a habit of carrying round with her.

_What's your name?_ she writes, in her neat sloping handwriting, turning it round to show the man.

He takes the paper and pen and writes back in a smaller scrawl. _Darius._

_I'm Lavinia,_ she writes. _It's not every day we get a new Avox. _

Inside, she's hoping that he'll tell her why he's here. And from District Twelve, of all places.

He gives her a half-smile. _I was a Peacekeeper who tried to save one of Katniss' friends from being whipped in the square. They hit me in the head with the whip and I was knocked unconscious. I think that Peacekeeper Thread wanted me dead after that, but Snow had another purpose. He wanted me to become an Avox. Placed here so that Katniss could see me suffer. _An expression of pain shoots across his face.

Lavinia can hardly believe what Darius is writing. No wonder he seemed so sad earlier. She remembers him and Katniss clutching each other's hands in unspoken communication. So she takes the paper and pen and writes back, _I'm so sorry._

Darius shrugs. _What about you?_

Lavinia pauses to think. She doesn't know what she could say to make the situation any better, but what choice does she have? After a moment of deliberation, she writes, _My brother and I decided to run away from the Capitol. We got as far as District Twelve before the hovercraft caught up to us. They shot a spear through my brother and killed him. They dropped a net down on me and took me back to the Capitol, where they cut out my tongue. And I became an Avox._

Tears begin to prick in her eyes as she remembers the moment she knew her luck had run out. She remembers seeing her brother, dead, hanging motionless in the air as the spear carried him up to the hovercraft. How she was strapped down to a chair in agony, screaming as the blood poured out of her mouth and her tongue was severed by the sharp metal blade in one swift movement.

And here she was, a mute Avox. Silenced forever.

Darius puts a comforting arm round her shoulder as she wipes her eyes. He scribbles down something on the paper. _At least we have each other._

Lavinia nods, then writes back. _So, are we friends now?_

Darius smiles at her, and reaches across to write something on the paper. Before she can read it, though, the sound of footsteps catches their attention, heading down the hallway towards them. The two of them hurriedly stand up, Lavinia shoving her pad and pen in her pocket, as they turn to leave. They'd both get into serious trouble if anyone found them communicating with one another.

Alone in her room, Lavinia unfolds the piece of paper with Darius' message written on it as well as her own.

_So, are we friends now?_

The reply makes her smile.

_Of course._

* * *

**There you are, hope you enjoyed! Any reviews (positive ones, of course) would be really appreciated!**


End file.
